The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for network mobility management in a proxy mobile IPv6 network, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for supporting network mobility using only PMIPv6 protocol with respect to a mobile node in which a mobile IP function is not implemented.
A network mobility management scheme is technology that effectively provides the mobility management of a plurality of mobile nodes having the same mobility pattern and solves the coverage limitations of the mobile nodes using a Wi-Fi access scheme through the interworking of Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) and High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA). The existing network mobility management is performed by including the function of mobile IPv6 in a Mobile Router (MR). In the mobile IPv6, when a mobile node senses that it has moved from one network to another network, it performs an operation that has been defined in the mobile IPv6. That is, the mobile IPv6 is a node-based mobility support protocol.
However, the mobile IPv6 senses the moving of a mobile node and resets an Internet Protocol (IP) address based on the sensed result, whereupon a delay time occurs. Furthermore, delay time issues grow serious because binding update is transmitted through a wireless section from a terminal. Therefore, technology has been proposed for supporting the mobility of nodes in an access network in order for preset-connection to be maintained even when a mobile node having no mobile IPv6 function is moved. Such a technology is called a network-based mobility management scheme.
As a protocol for providing network-based mobility management, a Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6) protocol has been standardized. In the PMIPv6, a network performs the sensing of mobility required by mobile nodes, and the resetting of an IP address is not required in the same PMIPv6 domain. Consequently, merely by including an IPv6 protocol in a mobile node, high-speed mobility management is made. For providing PMIPv6-based network mobility, however, support should be provided over PMIPv6 network without a mobile IP in a mobile router, and a unique prefix allocation scheme is required for an individual mobile node. Also, the minimizing of handover signaling cost is required as the advantage of network-based mobility management.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating management procedure according to an existing relay-based Network Mobility Management Technique (rNEMO).
Referring to FIG. 1, in the rNEMO, a relay included instead of the existing mobile router performs only the necessary relay function of signal processing between a mobile node and a Mobile Access Gateway (MAG), and thus network mobility may be supported without correcting the basic procedure of PMIPv6. Even in aspects of packet transfer, moreover, an operation of adding and removing a tunnel header is omitted, and thus detour traffic is reduced.
However, when a mobile network including many mobile nodes moves to another MAG, all mobile nodes included in a mobile network should access a new MAG. This is the same as the occurrence of signaling for the mobile management control procedures of the existing individual mobile nodes, and therefore the advantage of network mobility is removed.
Accordingly, efficiency improves compared to rNEMO in aspects of handover signaling, and a new applicable network mobility management scheme is required in PMIPv6 without mobile IPv6.